Javert Thénardier - Born Inside A Jail
by Missbexiee
Summary: A head cannon... what if Javert was the oldest son of the Thénardiers? This is his reaction to being born, "inside a jail," and making his resolve to fight the scum of the street like his father. One shot.


**A short one shot that I wrote a while ago and recently edited. Essentially it is a head cannon that follows the idea that Javert is the oldest son of the Thenardier family. It includes Eponine and her sister Azelma (from the book), along with a baby Gavroche. Really quick! Feedback and reviews are greatly encouraged and appreciated, thank you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the movie Les Miserables, the book, or the musical. ;)**

* * *

I run through the long hallway of the inn, my drunken father chasing my rear end with a paddle not too far behind me, "Get your filthy arse back here!"

I quickly duck around the corner and hide in a guest's room. Luckily they're out cold. I hear the heavy footsteps of my father, he curses, and then his boot tread lightens up as he walks away, thinking I'm gone and out of his hair. I suppose calling him a filthy criminal isn't the way to earn his approval. To think a man would beat his son for wanting to become a law man – to become an upstanding citizen and protect the streets from scum. I wait a minute more, then very slowly I creep out of the room and sneak down the wooden stairs trying to not emit any peeps from the steps.

My feet stop at the large oak chest our family keeps near the bottom of the stairs, I hear whimpering. My hands fumble over the large lid and I open the chest and help my younger sister out of it.

"Oh, Eponine, we're alright." I smile noting how distraught her face seems in the moment. I hold my little sister closely. Luckily it's still so early in the day none of the drunks are stirring yet. I'm sure my father has headed back to bed with the poor girl from Berry. My mother would never know anyway, I look over at her, passed out on a table.

"What did you say to him? Why was he so mad?" She squeaks out from in between my strong arms. I shake my head and stand her up. I call out for Gavroche and Azelma in a loud whisper. Apparently I didn't have to call even that loud since they were already in the surroundings of the dining hall, Azelma slowly todders out, holding baby Gavroche tightly to her new gown. It's really less of a dining hall, and more a beer hall, but to each his own.

I take my two younger sisters hands. I lead my siblings out of the house and carefully through the woods surrounding the dump of a town we live in. My demeanor does well to keep them quite, as we cross pass the city gates and further near the crook that streams by the stables. We near a special clearing that I'm fairly certain only I know of. I sit on the stump of a fallen tree and look at my younger blood's faces.

Sure, we've been treated nicely by our parents. Spoiled even recently, but at what cost? I can't explain this to them, they're too young. But I've served time for our father, I've taken his fair share of bullets for stealing and swindling. It's a jail here and I'm sick of being on the wrong side of the bars. He breaks all the laws he can, he teaches us to steal from the guests, I watched Eponine pickpocket a blind woman the other day all while dancing in her checkered frock. I'm ashamed it's taken me this long to grow so disgusted with our parents' behavior.

"Alright, I think we should run away from father. He tries to tell us he loves us with trinkets and clothes, but he doesn't. He is a liar, and the law will get to him one day! If we run out together now, we can live in the city, or even the woods! Any where is better then this hell! We won't have to put up with 'em, we can be our own people and make the right choices!"

"But daddy buys me toys!" Azelma whispers out. She sounds so innocent, so pure. I sit her on my lap and stroke her hair, "And Javert, you're just a boy. How would you convince father? Or live on your own?"

I scratch my head a bit, "Well, I hadn't thought that far. We can do it though! I promise, all we have to do is stay together." I look at the small children. Gavroche is playing in the dirt his face turns into a giggle as his dusty brown hair blows in the wind. Eponine sits off, in her own world, spinning her hair around with her finger. I should I have known better than try to use logic with children, what would they understand? None of them would want to leave the cozy place our father has created for us. Sure it's nice now, but it won't always be. They don't know that though.

They're so young. I was there age once too, but I knew what my life would be the minute I was born. I remember the cold damp jail cell. Looking at my mother with scorn as she ignored my cries for food, her body falling out of the clothes it had tried to be concealed with. My father, as he still is, trying to cheat the law at every second – stooping down to begging the officers to be let out, to be given an extra blanket... only so he could turn around and sell it for a profit. It was there... it was in my first few years on this Earth I knew that a path of righteousness was the only way out of this gutter. I shake my head and turn my attention back to the innocence of my sisters. I don't want them to ever have to experience something like I had. I want life to be peachy for them, always – I don't want my little sisters to have to live in poverty.

"Please, we will leave together! We'll go tonight. I'll get father drunk and we can sneak out through the back and head into the city!"

"With no money?"

"What about my dollies?"

I start getting a bit frustrated, "those are arbitrary! Once we get into the city and I get a job we can buy new ones."

"And who will hire you?" Eponine looks at me in a disbelief only a four year old could have. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"I'm a man you know? I've been thinking like this for years. It's not fair what he does, it's breaking the law."

"Law, law, law, that's all you care about Javert!"

I bite my lip, "Well fine! You don't have to come with me then! I will get away from here myself and become an upstanding man _of the law_! You'll see, and then I'll come back, one day I will come back and arrest our father for the coward and crook he is!" I angrily stand up and start stomping back to the inn. Not even caring if I'm heard at this point. It's over... and decided. I'm leaving, and if no one else is coming, so be it. I turn a quick second to make sure Azelma and Eponine are trailing behind me with Gavroche, and they are – one day I won't be so sympathetic.

I make my way up to my room, it's a joke really, an attic where all the rats and bugs live. I frantically begin filling a rucksack with a few of my possessions. All rightfully earned by myself, none stolen. I take my canteen, my jacket, and a small book I had been given by a military officer who stayed here one night. I get my cap from my dresser. I look in the mirror one last time.

"From this day forth I will be no longer a law breaker, or a man at his father's fingertips. No, I will be a law man, and protect it from corruption," I nod in agreement with myself. I hear laughing from downstairs and I know the guests are awake and getting ready to party tonight. An opportunity my father will take to steal from them.

Just as I close my door a little hand grabs my leg. It's baby Gavroche. I take him in my arms and play with his hair just for old time's sake, "I'll come back and get you," I give him a kiss on his forehead and place him down. He looks at me the entire time as I scale the side of the house, after opening the window through the lover's suite.

I place my feet on the ground and look around one last time. The city is only reached through the path at the front of the house. I look around the corner of the house, trying to see if the coast is clear. I stare at the peculiar woman near the front who stands talking at a feverish pace.

She's holding the hand of a young little girl with gorgeous long blond hair, the age of Eponine. The young lady seems to be crying as she pleads with my mother. Her body is skinny and her face is dirty. I take the opportunity to slip away, but not before the little girl meets eyes with mine.

Something about those eyes. I just can't put words to it. They were the eyes of a person I'd never forget and was certain to meet again...


End file.
